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CFL fails to Nik it at the bud
By Eric Wilkins, Staff Writer
Classless Nik Lewis has managed to sink to a new low. In the boneheaded play of the year, the Stampeders wide receiver tweeted, “I just bought OJ’s gloves on eBay. Now all I need is a white girl named Nicole” and added the hashtag #maybealittletofar.
Lewis said, “I tried to use my comedic rights and I guess I went a little too far.” Uh huh, sure. Try way too far. There are certain topics you just don’t joke about, Nik. Perhaps the worst part of it all is that he acknowledged in the tweet that it was too far, but still went on to post it (and with a spelling mistake). The CFL has fined him an undisclosed amount.
Earlier this season, hulking Khalif Mitchell made an inappropriate tweet himself, making use of a racial slur to those of Chinese descent. The CFL fined him, and the Lions promptly suspended him on their own accord. It was a smart move, and the right one. It was completely out of line for Mitchell to say what he did, and the club showed that they wouldn’t stand for it, regardless of how much they would miss him on the field.
Coming back to Lewis, whose tweet is far worse, we should expect the Stamps to suspend him as well, right? Apparently not. The team has placed their ethics and image behind them and instead chosen to focus on winning the playoff game at hand. Are we all as lost as Drew Tate here? It’s a mind-bogglingly loathsome move (or lack thereof). At least the public can take consolation in the fact that the receiver is truly repentant for his actions though: “Do I regret it? I regret getting money taken out of my pocket, I regret saying it, but I can’t take it back.” Never mind.
The league should honestly be ashamed of itself. I still think, even if the Lions hadn’t done it themselves, Mitchell should have been suspended for his comments. The same goes for Lewis. Surely the CFL realizes that the players are the face of the league? Do they really want to push themselves further into the bush league image that so many people already see the CFL to be? Allowing players to act as these two have is completely unacceptable. The fact that the suspension would cover a playoff game isn’t sufficient reason to ignore Lewis’ comment. In fact, it would have been the perfect opportunity for the league to make a very public stand. Instead, they slapped him on the wrist and allowed him to continue merrily along. If one were to translate the CFL’s actions into a physical act, we just watched an epic face plant.
